It’s good to be here.

By “here,” I mean breaking down a whole bunch of Week 1 action. Sure, Week 0 was great. But let’s be honest. Week 1 is the real start to the season.

Unlike Week 0, wherein only Vandy was in action, we’ve got 14 SEC games to dig into. Granted, 3 of those games are against FCS teams of the 14 SEC games, only 3 of them are against Power 5 teams.

Nonetheless, it’s about as solid of a Week 1 slate as we could ask for.

Let’s dig into some early impressions of each game:

Ball State vs. Tennessee

When — Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. ET

TV — SEC Network

I wonder if after an offseason of buzz unlike anything he’s had in his career, perhaps we see Hendon Hooker a bit too juiced up early. We know Josh Heupel loves taking those chances downfield. I wouldn’t be surprised if a combination of nerves and adrenaline get the better of Hooker early on. Don’t get it twisted. The Vols should still roll and potentially have a 4-score lead by halftime. But I expect the ground game to be the backbone early on. Hooker and Jaylen Wright both have big days with their legs.

Louisiana Tech vs. Mizzou

When — Thursday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET

TV — ESPNU

It’s hard to know what to expect from former Georgia walk-on Matthew Downing. He’s Louisiana Tech’s starting quarterback, after spending the last couple seasons at TCU. Reuniting with Sonny Cumbie, who dunked on Mike Leach as Texas Tech’s interim coach, could be a bit tricky for an unproven Mizzou defense. MSU needed a historic 4th quarter comeback last year just to survive against Louisiana Tech at home. My guess is that Mizzou’s ground game prevents a replay of that.

Sam Houston State vs. No. 6 Texas A&M

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at Noon ET

TV — SEC Network

Max Johnson or Haynes King? Does it matter? It shouldn’t. Either way, I’d expect Devon Achane and the A&M backfield to do most of the heavy lifting. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a run-heavy plan of attack early on against a Sam Houston State team who lost its better player, tailback Ramon Jefferson, to Kentucky. If we see Jimbo Fisher rotating quarterbacks after an offseason of not tipping his hand, well, that’s a problem.

No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 3 Georgia (in Atlanta)

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. ET

TV — ABC

Bo Nix vs. Georgia:

  • A) Is 0-3
  • B) Averaged 4.99 yards per attempt
  • C) Has 34 total rushing yards
  • D) Averaged 10 points
  • E) All the above

It’s “E.” It’s always “E.”

That’s a tough thing to get around, even if I do think Oregon’s experienced offensive line won’t get totally smoked by a new-look Georgia front outside of Jalen Carter. Still, though. I don’t know that a new uniform is gonna make a difference for Nix against Kirby Smart and Co.

No. 23 Cincinnati vs. No. 19 Arkansas

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN

I know that Cincinnati lost a ton of talent, but I can’t buy this notion that the Bearcats are about to fall off the face of the earth. Not a Luke Fickell-coached team. This will be a dog fight for Arkansas, who still needs to figure out its passing game in a post-Treylon Burks world. It’s a good thing KJ Jefferson doesn’t have to worry about throwing at Coby Bryant and Sauce Gardner, but I’d be surprised if he and the Arkansas offense looked like it was in midseason form. The over/under is only 51.5 for a reason.

Troy vs. No. 21 Ole Miss

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. ET

TV — SEC Network

All eyes will be on the Ole Miss starting quarterback situation, but I want to see Lane Kiffin’s new-look backfield go to work. Replacing the likes of Jerrion Early, Snoop Conner and Henry Parrish wasn’t a given, but Kiffin swung for the fences by adding Zach Evans and Ulysses Bentley. Add in the leading returning rusher, Kentrel Bullock, and Ole Miss is poised for another elite ground attack behind an offensive line that brings back 3 starters. I can’t imagine a 5-win Troy team with a first-year head coach keeping pace with Kiffin’s offense.

Mercer vs. Auburn

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN+

What does the Robby Ashford package look like? If the Oregon transfer is used as a run-only, change-of-pace quarterback, I’m not really on board with that. If he’s used a bit more creatively and Auburn actually makes him a dual-threat option, that’s more intriguing, though I don’t advocate for a 2-quarterback system. My guess is that Bryan Harsin will have Ashford behind center at least a handful of times so that he gets some valuable reps — he didn’t play a snap in 2 years at Oregon — and SEC defenses have a little something extra to prepare for.

Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 20 Kentucky

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN+

One of the tricky things that new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello has to figure out is the proper way to use Will Levis in the ground game. He’s not a slider. He takes on contact and would rather run through you than by you. But against a MAC school in the season opener, Kentucky shouldn’t need 100% of Levis’ legs. Remember that Beau Allen’s transfer means that walk-on Iowa transfer Deuce Hogan is the only other QB on the roster who attempted a pass at the FBS level … and Hogan completed 1 pass in garbage time vs. Maryland. Levis only plays 1 way, but UK has to be smart about his usage.

No. 7 Utah vs. Florida

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN

If Florida’s defense shuts down Utah, I’ll invest in all the Patrick Toney stock. Do I have some doubt that’ll happen? Absolutely. Cameron Rising and Tavion Thomas formed one of the most underrated duos in the country during the latter half of 2021, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that continued against a Florida defense in its first game in a new scheme. The Swamp will be rocking for this fun home-and-home, but I’m not sure the Gators will be able to consistently put pressure on Rising.

Elon vs. Vanderbilt

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN+

I mean, how do you follow that up? The FBS-leading Vandy offense — that’s real — can build actual game-to-game momentum after beating the breaks off of Hawaii. When was the last time that Vandy scored 30 points in consecutive games, you ask? That was 2018. Also of note, 52 teams averaged at least 30 points per game in 2021.

Utah State vs. No. 1 Alabama

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV — SEC Network

Alabama is a 39-point favorite against a team who finished in the AP Top 25 last year. Let that sink in. Of course, Utah State is No. 113 in the country in percentage of returning production and it didn’t have a single selection on the preseason All-Mountain West team, which was pretty evident in a lackluster Week 1 win vs. UConn. Hence, why Bryce Young and Will Anderson might not play more than a series in the second half.

Memphis vs. Mississippi State

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV — ESPNU

After last year’s shenanigans in Memphis, ya think the MSU would like a little home-cooking from the officiating? Absolutely. More encouraging (and realistic) would be Will Rogers getting to operate out of a clean pocket that doesn’t remind the home crowd about Charles Cross’ value at left tackle. Holding up against a middle-of-the-pack AAC defense is pivotal for what awaits in SEC play.

Georgia State vs. South Carolina

When — Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV — ESPN+

What should the realistic expectations be for Spencer Rattler in his South Carolina debut? The Gamecocks are only 13-point favorites against former SC interim coach/assistant Shawn Elliott, who famously took down Tennessee in the 2019 opener and nearly led GSU to a win against Auburn last year. Rattler might have a little bit of extra juice going early. Keeping him calm and getting him some high-percentage looks will be key for Marcus Satterfield. As much as South Carolina would prefer to let the ground game go to work, the mismatch is against a defense that ranked No. 109 against the pass last year. With all of those weapons on the outside, I’d expect a high-volume day from Rattler even if he has to work through a slow start.

Florida State vs. LSU (in New Orleans)

When — Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV — ABC

This game is tied with Arkansas-Cincinnati for the 2nd lowest over/under among SEC games at 51.5 points. Even that feels high. FSU struggled immensely throwing the football last year, which a new-look LSU secondary could benefit from. Offensively, is LSU going to light up the scoreboard with a new starting quarterback and so many questions on the offensive line? My guess is no. Don’t be fooled by the names on the jerseys and the primetime slot. This is a battle of 2 teams with losing records who could still be figuring things out in the opener. A sloppy showdown in New Orleans awaits.